Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that defense experts with drones will travel to the Middle East next week to assist the United States and Gulf nations in neutralizing Iranian-made devices that are plaguing the region. The head of state suggested that this technical assistance is part of a mutual cooperation strategy and noted that his country seeks for the exchange of resources to be "two-way", with the expectation of strengthening its own air defense systems. "Next week, when the experts are on the ground, they will analyze the situation and help, because they are coming with their capabilities," Zelensky stated, according to reports from the Ukrainian agency Unian. The goal is to transfer the knowledge acquired by Kyiv on the battlefield, where Shahed drones have become a constant weapon in the conflict against Russia. According to information from the Argentine News Agency, the exchange proposes a dynamic of cooperation that goes beyond technical assistance. Kyiv is betting that this transfer of capabilities will allow it to strengthen ties with the countries of the region, which face challenges similar to those of Ukrainians regarding Iranian attack technology. Officials in the Ukrainian capital have highlighted that the exchange of intelligence and tactics to counter drones will be fundamental, especially considering that the proliferation of these devices has altered the security map in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the international community is watching closely how this deployment of Ukrainian specialists could reconfigure alliances in a zone of high military volatility. When asked about the scope of this collaboration, the Ukrainian president was emphatic in signaling the reciprocity he expects from his allies: "If we are talking about increasing certain resources, we would very much like this to be two-way". With this statement, Zelensky made it clear that the expertise of his forces is a valuable asset in the current global landscape, directly linking the aid provided to the Gulf countries with Ukraine's urgent need to receive air defense missiles to protect its territory.
